Anne of Bohemia and her contribution to Richard II's treasure Larger image (96KB) On 20 January 1382 Richard II married Anne of Bohemia (1366-94), daughter of the Emperor Charles IV and sister of Wenceslas IV of Bohemia, 'this tiny scrap of humanity', as the Westminster chronicler described her. Two days later she was crowned. One of the royal crowns had been recovered from pawn in London for her coronation. Contemporaries criticised the marriage on two grounds: Anne had no dowry, and she was escorted by a large and expensive suite of Bohemian ladies and gentlemen, to some of whom Richard granted annuities. Although the union was childless, this seems to have been a marriage of true affection. Anne nearly always accompanied Richard as he travelled about England. Little is known of her character, but she fulfilled the traditional role of a queen in acting as intercessor for those who had incurred the king's anger. Richard was deeply grieved at her death in 1394. He ordered the manor at Sheen where she had died to be torn down. Anne was buried in the Confessor's chapel behind the high altar in Westminster Abbey.

The double tomb Anne of Bohemia and Richard II. Detail from the double tomb (London, Westminster Abbey) In 1395 Richard sealed contracts for a monument for himself and for Anne. This was an innovation, the first time a double tomb was ordered for an English royal burial. Contracts for the base of Purbeck marble were sealed with two London masons, Henry Yevele and Stephen Lote, and for the two life size effigies with Nicholas Broker and Godfrey Prest, both coppersmiths of London. Designs, now lost, were supplied to both sets of craftsmen. The coppersmiths' contract stipulated that the effigies were to be made of gilded copper and latten and to lie under canopies. They were to be crowned, their right hands were to be joined, and they were to hold sceptres in their left hands. Although the crowns and other attributes are lost, as are the small images of saints and angels, the beautiful decoration on the effigies depicting the badges of the king and queen in pointillé pointillé - pattern formed of dots incised with a fine point still survives.

After his deposition and murder in 1400, Richard was buried at Langley in Buckinghamshire. His body was moved to lie beside Anne only on Henry V's accession in 1413. Jewels and plate of Anne of Bohemia We do not know what valuables Anne brought with her from Bohemia, but five jewelled collars with one or both of her badges of the fern and the ostrich are described in the treasure roll. Ostrich badge in pointillé. Detail from the double tomb (London, Westminster Abbey). Larger image (38KB) R 63 Item, un coler de la livere la roigne que dieu assoille, garnis' ove rubis en hostrich', xvij gross' perlez , xxxv autres plus petitz perlez, pois' vij unc', et vaut outre vj li., donnt la somme, Cxiij li. xviijs. iiijd.

[Item, a collar of the livery of the late queen, may God have mercy on her soul, set with rubies in an ostrich, seventeen great pearls, thirty-five other smaller pearls, weighing 7 oz., additional value £6, total value, £113 18s. 4d.] R 80 Item, un coler d'or de la ferne de la livere la roigne ove un ostrich enaymelle blanc et j diamant, pois' xj unc', summa, xxxiiij li. xiijs. iiijd. [Item, a gold collar of the fern of the livery of the queen with an ostrich enamelled white and a diamond, weighing 11 oz., total, £34 13s. 4d.] Also listed in the roll are basins, bottles and spiceplates, all large, all in pairs and of silver-gilt, marked with the impaled arms impaled arms - two coats of arms set side by side on a shield of 'the Emperor' (presumably Anne's arms, derived from her father, Charles IV, 1316-78), and of 'the king'.

Some of these could perhaps have come from Anne's trousseau, but at least one pair of basins marked in this way seems to postdate her arrival in England and to have been a gift. It had a livery collar of John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, Richard's uncle, around the arms. Among the chapel goods a pax pax - tablet of precious metal, ivory, etc., decorated with a sacred image, for transferring the kiss of peace at the mass from the celebrant to the clergy and laity is described as having Anne's arms and those of Richard II. Anne of Bohemia biography, Reputation, Marriage to King Richard II of Anne of Bohemia : biography 11 May 1366 - 7 June 1394 Anne of Bohemia (11 May 1366 – 7 June 1394) was Queen of England as the first wife of King Richard II.

A member of the House of Luxembourg, she was the eldest daughter of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, and Elizabeth of Pomerania.Strickland, Agnes, Lives of the Queens of England from the Norman Conquest, (Lea & Strickland, 1841), 303, 308. She had four brothers, including Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, and one younger sister, Margaret of Bohemia, Burgravine of Nuremberg. She also had five half-siblings from her father's previous marriages. Reputation Although Anne was originally disliked by the chroniclers, there is some evidence that she became more popular in time. She was known to have been a very kind person and popular with the people of England, for example she was well known for her tireless attempts to "intercede" on behalf of the people, procuring pardons for people in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, and numerous other pardons for wrongdoers. She also made several high-status intercessions in front of the king.

She interceded on behalf of Simon Burley, Richard II's former tutor during his minority, in the 1388 Merciless Parliament. She was also on her knees for the citizens of London in the ceremonial reconciliation of Richard and London in 1391. On the other hand, she never fulfilled many traditional duties of queens. In particular, she did not bear children, despite 12 years of marriage, and this is perhaps emphasised in her epitaph, whereby she is mentioned as having been kind to "pregnant women". The Evesham chronicler said, "this queen, although she did not bear children, was still held to have contributed to the glory and wealth of the realm, as far as she was able". Nevertheless, the fact that her popular legacy seems to have been that she was "Good Queen Anne" seems to suggest that this lack of children was unimportant to many contemporaries. Marriage to King Richard II of England Richard II married Anne of Bohemia as a result of the Great Schism in the Papacy that had resulted in two rival popes.

According to Eduard Perroy, Pope Urban VI actually sanctioned the marriage between Richard and Anne, in an attempt to create an alliance on his behalf, in particular so that he might be stronger against the French, and their preferred pope, Clement. Anne's father was the most powerful monarch in Europe at the time ruling over about half of Europe's population and territory. The marriage was against the wishes of many members of his nobility and members of parliament, and occurred primarily at the instigation of Richard's intimate, Michael de la Pole. Although Richard had been offered Caterina Visconti, one of the daughters of Bernabò Visconti of Milan, who would have brought a great deal of money with her as dowry, Anne was chosen – bringing no direct financial benefits to England. She brought with her no dowry, and in return for her hand in marriage, Richard gave 20,000 florins (around £4,000,000 in today's value) in payment to her brother Wenceslas.

There were also only few diplomatic benefits – although English merchants were now allowed to trade freely within both Bohemian lands, and lands of the Holy Roman Empire, this was not much when compared to the usual diplomatic benefits from marriages made as a result of the war with France. It is therefore no surprise that the marriage was unpopular. On her arrival in December 1381, Anne was severely criticised by contemporary chroniclers, probably as a result of the financial arrangements of the marriage, although it was quite typical for queens to be viewed in critical terms. The Westminster Chronicler called her "a tiny scrap of humanity", and Thomas Walsingham related a disastrous omen upon her arrival, where her ships smashed to pieces as soon as she had disembarked. Nevertheless, Anne and King Richard II were married in Westminster Abbey on 22 January 1382. Tournaments were held for several days after the ceremony, in celebration. They then went on an itinerary of the realm, staying at many major abbeys along the way. In 1383 Anne of Bohemia visited the city of Norwich, where at the Great Hospital a ceiling comprising 252 black eagles was made in her honour.

Anne's wedding to Richard II was the fifth royal wedding in Westminster Abbey and was not followed by any other royal wedding in Westminster Abbey for another 537 years."". They were married for 12 years, but had no children. Anne's death from plague in 1394 at Sheen Manor was a devastating blow to Richard, whose subsequent unwise conduct lost him his throne.Strickland, 323–324. Richard married his second wife, Isabella of Valois, on 31 October 1396. Arms Ancestry Legacy Anne is buried at Westminster beside her husband. Their joint tomb, now damaged, once showed them clasping hands. The inscription on her tomb describes her as "beauteous in body and her face was gentle and pretty." When her tomb was opened in 1871, it was discovered that many of her bones had been stolen via a hole in the side of the casket. at Westminster-Abbey.org. Accessed 11 March 2008. Anne of Bohemia is known to have made the sidesaddle more popular to ladies of the Middle Ages.

She also influenced the design of carts in England when she arrived in a carriage, presumably from Kocs, Hungary, to meet her future husband Richard. She also made the horned, Bohemian-style headdress the fashion for Englishwomen in the late 14th-century. 1366: Anne of Bohemia: The Queen of England who Was the Sister of a Hungarian-Croatian King | History.info | Page 19637 1366: Anne of Bohemia: The Queen of England who Was the Sister of a Hungarian-Croatian King Photo Credit To Wikipedia Commons Story Highlights Historical event: 11 May 1366 The younger brother of Anne of Bohemia was the famous Sigismund of Luxembourg, King of Hungary and Croatia and Holy Roman Emperor. At the age of 15, Anne was married to the English King Richard II, who was even younger than her. Anne of Bohemia, Queen of England and wife of King Richard II (Plantagenet dynasty), was born on this day in 1366. It is interesting to note that Anna was the daughter of the German Emperor and Czech King Charles IV (Luxembourg dynasty).

This ruler is known as the founder of the Prague University. The famous Charles Bridge in Prague was named after him. At the time, Emperor Charles IV was the most powerful ruler in Europe. Anne of Bohemia was born in Prague, as the 13th children of their parents. It is interesting to note that Anne’s younger brother was the famous Sigismund of Luxembourg, King of Hungary and Croatia, and Holy Roman Emperor. At the age of 15, Anne was married to the English King Richard II, who was even younger than her. After their wedding, Anne became Queen of England (1382-1394), and her brother Sigismund served as King of Hungary and Croatia (1387-1437). Allegedly, after their wedding, English merchants could trade in Bohemia, and in other parts of the Holy Roman Empire. Facebook Comments Anne of Bohemia : Wikis (The Full Wiki) Encyclopedia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about Anne of Bohemia, queen consort of England. For Anne of Bohemia, queen consort of Poland, see Anne of Bohemia (1204–1265) .

For the daughter of Ottokar I of Bohemia, see Anne of Bohemia (1290-1313) . Anne of Bohemia 7 June 1394 (aged 28) Burial Westminster Abbey , London Anne of Bohemia (11 May 1366 – 7 June 1394), also known as Good Queen Anne, was the eldest daughter of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia, and Elizabeth of Pomerania . She was a member of the House of Luxembourg and was the first Queen consort of Richard II of England . She had four brothers, including Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor and one younger sister, Margaret of Bohemia, Burgravine of Nuremberg . She also had five half-siblings from her father's previous marriages. Contents 7 External links Marriage to King Richard II of England Richard II married Anne of Bohemia as a result of the Great Schism in the Papacy, which had resulted in two rival popes.

According to Eduard Perroy, Pope Urban VI actually sanctioned the marriage between Richard and Anne, in an attempt to create an alliance on his behalf, in particular so that he might be stronger against the French, and their preferred pope, Clement. This might explain why Richard married Anne, despite it being against the wishes of many members of his nobility and members of parliament. Although he had been offered Caterina Visconti , one of the daughters of Bernabò Visconti of Milan , who would have brought a great deal of money with her as dowry — Anne was chosen, bringing no direct financial benefits to England. She brought with her no dowry, and in return for her hand in marriage, Richard gave 20,000 florins (around £13,000) in payment to her brother Wenceslas . There were also only few diplomatic benefits — although English merchants were now allowed to trade freely within both Bohemian lands, and lands of the Holy Roman Empire , this was not much when compared to the usual diplomatic benefits from marriages made as a result of the war with France. It is therefore no surprise that the marriage was unpopular.

On her arrival in December 1381, Anne was severely criticised by contemporary chroniclers, probably as a result of the financial arrangements of the marriage, although it was quite typical for queens to be viewed in critical terms. The Westminster Chronicler called her "a tiny scrap of humanity", and Thomas Walsingham related a disastrous omen upon her arrival, where her ships smashed to pieces as soon as she had disembarked. Nevertheless, Anne and King Richard II were married in Westminster Abbey on 22 January 1382, when each of them was only fifteen years old. Tournaments were held for several days after the ceremony, in celebration. They then went on an itinerary of the realm, staying at many major abbeys along the way. They were married for 12 years, but had no children. Anne's death from plague in 1394 was a devastating blow to Richard II, whose subsequent unwise conduct lost him the throne. Richard married his second wife, Isabella of Valois , on 31 October 1396 Reputation Anne Although Anne was originally disliked by the chroniclers, there is some evidence that she became more popular in time.

She was known to have been a very kind person and popular with the people of England , for example she was well known for her tireless attempts to 'intercede' on behalf of the people, procuring pardons for people in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, and numerous other pardons for wrongdoers. She also made several high-status intercessions in front of the king. She interceded on behalf of Simon Burley, Richard II's former tutor during his minority, in the 1388 Merciless Parliament. She was also on her knees for the citizens of London in the ceremonial reconciliation of Richard and London in 1391. On the other hand, she never fulfilled many traditional duties of queens. In particular, she did not bear children, despite 12 years of marriage, and this is perhaps emphasised in her epitaph, whereby she is mentioned as having been kind to 'pregnant women'. The Evesham chronicler said, "this queen, although she did not bear children, was still held to have contributed to the glory and wealth of the realm, as far as she was able".

Nevertheless, the fact that her popular legacy seems to have been that she was "Good Queen Anne" seems to suggest that this lack of children was unimportant to many contemporaries. Legacy Anne is buried at Westminster beside her husband. Their joint tomb, now damaged, once showed them clasping hands. The inscription on her tomb describes her as "beauteous in body and her face was gentle and pretty." When her tomb was opened in 1871, it was discovered that many of her bones had been stolen via a hole in the side of the casket. [1] Anne of Bohemia is known to have made the sidesaddle more popular to ladies of the Middle Ages. She also influenced the design of carts in England when she arrived in a carriage, presumably from Kocs, Hungary, to meet her future husband Richard. She also made the horned, Bohemian-style headdress the fashion for Englishwomen in the late 14th-century. Arms Arms of Anne of Bohemia Notes Anne's arms were those of her father, Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, impaled with the royal coat of arms of the England.

Escutcheon Quarterly 1st and 4th aregent, an eagle displayed, with two heads, sable; 2nd and 3rd gules, a lion rampant, queue fourchee, argent, crowned or. She impaled these arms with the shield of Richard II, upon which the arms of the Confessor were marshalled per pale with France and England; consequently the complete shield would be "per pale of three". [2] Ancestry Anne of Bohemia, Queen of England | Unofficial Royalty Unofficial Royalty The Site for Royal News and Discussion Menu Anne of Bohemia, Queen of England by Susan Flantzer Anne of Bohemia with her husband King Richard II of England; Photo: Wikipedia Born on May 11, 1366 in Prague, Bohemia (now in the Czech Republic), Anne of Bohemia was the eldest child of Charles IV , Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia , and his fourth wife, Elizabeth of Pomerania .

Anne had five siblings: Anne had three half siblings by her father’s first marriage to Blanche of Valois : Son (b.1334), died young Anne had one half sibling from her father’s second marriage to Anna of Bavaria : Wenceslaus (1350–51) Wenceslaus, King of Germany (formally King of the Romans), King of Bohemia (as Wenceslaus IV) and Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (1361–1419), married (1) Joanna of Bavaria , no issue (2) Sophia of Bavaria , no issue Son (born and died 1362) In 1377, King Edward III of England died after a 50 year reign and because his eldest son Edward, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince) had died the previous year, he was succeeded by his grandson King Richard II who was ten years old. When Richard was 15, a bride was sought for him, and Anne of Bohemia seemed a logical choice as Bohemia and the Holy Roman Empire were seen as potential allies against France in the ongoing Hundred Years’ War .

However, the potential marriage was unpopular with the nobility and members of Parliament because Anne brought no dowry. Richard’s tutor and his father’s close friend Sir Simon de Burley was sent to negotiate the marriage contract and then escort the 15 year old bride to be to England. After Anne arrived in Dover, England, a huge wave wrecked the ship in which she had sailed, and this was seen as a bad omen. The young couple were married at Westminster Abbey on January 22, 1382, the fifth royal wedding at the Abbey. It was not until the wedding of Princess Patricia of Connaught, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and Alexander Ramsay in 1919, 537 years later, that another royal wedding was held at Westminster Abbey. Anne is credited with introducing two fashion items in England. Women had rode horses astride, or pillion, seated sideways on a cushion behind the male rider’s saddle. It is said that Anne introduced the earliest sidesaddle in England, which was chair-like with the woman sitting sideways on the horse with her feet on a small footrest.

Anne also introduced the horned headdress, which was two feet tall and wide, shaped like a crescent moon and draped with gauze or net. 14th century fashion; Photo: Wikipedia Although Anne was initially unpopular, she became known as “Good Queen Anne” because of her kindhearted ways. She was known to intercede on the behalf of numerous people to obtain pardons. Shortly after her marriage, she obtained pardons for participants in the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 . In 1388, she unsuccessfully pleaded for the life of Sir Simon de Burley, who had escorted her to England. In 1392, she mediated a reconciliation between the city of London and her husband which resulted in a spectacular royal progress through the city with the King and Queen on horseback wearing their crowns. However, Anne of Bohemia failed to fulfill a queen’s most important duty. During the 12 years of her marriage, she failed to produce an heir to the throne. In June of 1394, Anne became ill with the plague while at Sheen Palace with her husband.

She died three days later on June 7, 1394 at the age of 28. King Richard II was so devastated by Anne’s death that he ordered Sheen Palace to be destroyed. For almost 20 years it lay in ruins until King Henry V started a rebuilding project in 1414. King Richard gave Anne a magnificent funeral. The funeral procession made its way from Sheen Palace to Westminster Abbey lit by candles and torches made from wax specially imported from Flanders. Those in the procession were dressed all in black and wore black hoods. King Richard was angered when Richard FitzAlan, 11th Earl of Arundel arrived late for the funeral. The king struck the earl in the face with his scepter. Funeral Procession of Anne of Bohemia; Photo: Wikipedia Richard had a tomb built for his wife at Westminster Abbey. Unusually, he had his own effigy made to lie alongside Anne’s on the tomb with their hands clasped, although their hands eventually became broken off. King Richard II married a second time to six year old Isabella of Valois in 1396 and that marriage was also childless.

In 1399, King Richard II was deposed and imprisoned by his cousin Henry Bolingbroke (who became King Henry IV), son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster . He died in Pontefract Castle on or about February 14, 1400, probably from starvation, although it is possible he was murdered. Richard was originally buried at Kings Langley Priory in Hertfordshire, England. When King Henry V came to the throne in 1413, he ordered that the remains of King Richard II be transferred to Westminster Abbey to join Anne in the tomb Richard had built for them in the St. Edward the Confessor Chapel, next to the tomb of Richard’s grandfather King Edward III. Tomb of King Richard II of England and Anne of Bohemia; Photo source: “Six Degrees” from Eleanor of Aquitaine: Anne of Bohemia “Six Degrees” from Eleanor of Aquitaine: Anne of Bohemia June 30, 2015 by Walter Hawkes “Six Degrees” from Eleanor of Aquitaine: Anne of Bohemia Everything begins with Eleanor of Aquitaine!

She is fascinating both for her life and her “life after life.” Eleanor had a bevy of children – two daughters with Louis VII of France, and three daughters and five sons with Henry II of England. Of those ten children, six had children of their own. Through these grandchildren, Eleanor became the ancestor to the expected (the monarchs of England) and the unexpected! Our featured “Eleanor descendant” is Anne of Bohemia, the wife and queen of England’s King Richard II. Several of England’s Plantagenet and Tudor queens are descended from Eleanor of Aquitaine through both of her marriages (to Louis of France and to Henry of England). Anne of Bohemia’s genealogical status, however, is unique. She is the only queen who WAS a descendant of Eleanor of Aquitaine, but who was NOT a descendant of Henry II of England. Anne of Bohemia’s connection to Eleanor was pure French. Eleanor’s oldest daughter with Louis VII, Marie, married Henry I of Champagne. Eleanor had nothing to say about the match, having (of necessity) lost any “parental influence” when her marriage to Louis ended. Eleanor was, however, acquainted with the bridegroom.

Henry of Champagne had accompanied Louis and Eleanor when they headed east on the ill-fated Second Crusade. He obviously made a very favorable impression! Marie was 18 years younger than her husband, a not unusual age gap. After fifteen years of marriage, and four children, Henry once again set out towards Palestine, this time on pilgrimage. Marie served as regent of Champagne in his absence. Marie and Henry’s daughter, another Marie, married Baldwin of Flanders and Hainault (in the Low Countries). In 1202, Baldwin joined the Fourth Crusade. Marie, who was pregnant with the couple’s daughter Margaret, remained behind. The Crusade was diverted to Constantinople, then under Greek rule. The Crusaders captured the city – and installed Baldwin as Emperor of Constantinople. Marie set sail but died en route in 1204. The infant Margaret had remained in France. At the age of 10 (!), an obviously precocious Margaret eloped with Burchard of Avesnes. Burchard was excommunicated (by two popes) and the marriage declared void. Margaret remained with Burchard long enough for two sons to be born; both were declared illegitimate.

In 1225, Margaret made another marriage – this time, a sanctioned and sanctified union – with William II of Dampierre (in north-central France). Three more sons, and a daughter, were born. The arms of Dampierre. Courtesy of the National Library of the Netherlands Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts Collection. Margaret and William of Dampierre’s son, Guy, struggled for years with his older Avesnes half-brothers for control of Flanders. France and England were drawn into the conflict. Guy eventually died in a French prison, but not before he had married twice and had sixteen children. The Dampierre children married into the noble houses of Germany, France, Flanders, Scotland and the Low Countries. Daughter Margaret of Flanders married John I of Brabant (in the Low Countries). Their daughter, Margaret of Brabant, married Henry VII of Luxembourg. Henry was elected King of the Romans, the title given to the heir of the Holy Roman Emperor. Margaret became his “Queen Consort” but died a year before Henry was named Holy Roman Emperor. Their son, John, was Count of Luxembourg by inheritance and King of Bohemia through marriage to Elizabeth of Bohemia.

During the Hundred Years War between France and England, John allied with Philip VI of France. At the Battle of Crecy in 1346, John (who had been blind for some ten years), controlled the French advance guard. He asked his men to guide his horse into battle, where he was killed. John “the Blind,” King of Bohemia, was killed at the Battle of Crecy. The star of the day, Edward the Black Prince, teenage son of England’s Edward III, so admired John’s chivalric gesture that, the story goes, he adopted John’s feather crest and his motto – Ich dien (“I serve”). They still remain part of the badge of the Prince of Wales. The feather crest of John of Bohemia was adopted by England’s Prince as his own. Courtesy of the British Library Illuminated Manuscripts Collection. On John’s death, his oldest son became King Charles V of Bohemia. He became Holy Roman Emperor in 1355. Charles married four times, and had thirteen children. Anne was the oldest daughter of his fourth marriage, to Elizabeth of Pomerania.

Anne of Bohemia may have been a “scrap of humanity,” as an English chronicler said, but she had an impressive kinship network! Through her seven surviving siblings, she was connected to the royal houses of Hungary, Austria, Croatia, Bavaria, Germany, Moravia, Luxembourg and Nuremburg. She was the daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor and granddaughter of the heroic John “the Blind,” King of Bohemia, killed at the Battle of Crecy. Edward, the “Black Prince,” England’s Prince of Wales, the hero of the Battle of Crecy, died in 1366. His small son Richard, now heir to his elderly grandfather Edward III, was immediately invested as Prince of Wales. The badge Richard used, a feather with the motto “Ich Dien,” was the badge that had belonged to his future wife’s grandfather. Romantic Couples: Richard II & Anne of Bohemia Richard II and Anne of Bohemia by Teresa Eckford ISBN: 0-9722091-1-5 Gentle readers, you will have to forgive me for telling this bittersweet tale.

However, once you've read it, I believe you will understand why I want to include Richard and Anne among my Romantic Couples, for their relationship represents the essence of true love. A note in a chronicle written during the reign of Henry V sums it up. "And anon, the firste yeer of his regne, for the grete and tendre loue that he hadde to king Richard, he translatid his body fro Langley vnto Westmynstre, and buried him beside quene Anne his first wiff, as his desire was." [ 1 ] And there they lie to this day, inseparable in death, as they had been in life. I should, however, start at the beginning. Richard II came to the throne at the age of ten in 1377, after the death of his grandfather, Edward III. (Click here to see his effigy then use your Back button to return to this column.) The son of the infamous Black Prince (who died the year before) and Joan of Kent, he led an eventful, and ultimately doomed life. While capable in many ways, he was also stubborn, proud and not particularly astute in the area of politics.

He was, however, a handsome man who could be charming when he desired. Here is a contemporary description: "King Richard was of the comon stature, his hair yellowish, his face fair and rosy, rather round than long, and sometimes flushed;..He was prodigal in his gifts, extravagantly splendid in his entertainment and dress, timid as to war, very passionate toward his domestics, haughty and too much devoted to voluptousness...yet there were many laudable features in his character: he loved religion and the clergy, he encouraged architecture, he built the church of Westminster almost entirely , and left much property by his will to finish what he had begun." [ 2 ] Although Richard did not know his father very well, the Black Prince was to have a profound influence on his son's life; he was a great soldier and able commander, and until the onset of his illness, a physical, athletic man. Though tall, Richard did not inherit his father's athletic build, and was far more like his great-grandfather, Edward II, in appearance and character that he was like either his father or grandfather, Edward III.

He was forever haunted by his father's military and knightly reputation and his inability to live up to it as he would have liked to was probably a major factor in his desire for the complete political control which eventually cost him his crown and life. Richard's early years were dominated by three key figures: his mother, Joan of Kent, his tutor (chosen by his father) Sir Simon Burley, and his uncle, John of Gaunt. Soon after the 1381 Rebellion, marriage arrangements began in earnest. Sir Simon travelled abroad and, along with the Earl of Suffolk, negotiated a match between his pupil and the daughter of the late Emperor Charles IV, and sister of King Wenzel of Bohemia (also known as Wenceslas, but NOT the one of the Christmas carol.) Anne was, by all accounts, a cultured young woman with royal connections throughout Europe. Unfortunately she was also poor, her brother could not afford a dowry. However the diplomatic advantages of the match were appealing, so the arrangements were made and Richard agreed to lend his new brother by marriage the equivalent of 15,000 pounds. This did not sit well with many of the English people.

In January of 1382 (some sources say the 14th, while others say the 20th) Richard and Anne were married. Despite the fact they'd known each other such a short time, it appears the marriage was a success from the beginning. Anne was less than a year older than Richard, and though some chroniclers mentioned her beauty, her effigy reveals her to have been a rather plain young woman. (Click here to see a bust of her at the National Portrait Gallery, based on her effigy, then use your Back button to return.) However, this appeared not to affect the king's feelings for his wife. All but one of his biographers agree that the marriage was a happy one. Nigel Saul, Richard's most recent biographer, wrote "The bond that was established between them was one of remarkable strength and intimacy for an arranged marriage at this level of society in the middle ages." [ 3 ] During the first two years of their marriage they went on two progresses together and gradually, the English people grew to like the queen. In 1388 she further endeared herself to Richard by begging on her knees in front of his political opponents that they spare Burley's life.

They refused, an insult Richard did not soon forget and for which they would pay later in his reign. In 1392 she pleaded with Richard to have mercy on the people of London, guaranteeing her popularity. They had offended him and he'd retaliated by revoking the city's Charter. Here is how the Monk of Westminster (author of the Westminster Chronicle) recounted the event: At length through the intercession, on behalf of the Londoners, of friends, conspicuous among them the queen (who more than once, indeed on many occasions, both at Windsor and at Nottingham, prostrated herself at the king's feet in earnest and tireless entreaty for the city and the welfare of its citizens that he would cease to direct his anger against them and would not let so famous a city and its teeming masses perish without due consideration simply because of the burning passion of its enemies), the king's mild and kindly nature was moved by pity and persuaded by the queen and by others among his nobles and prominent men, he forgave the Londoners all their offences against him...

[ 4 ] This change in attitude on the part of the Monk illustrates how the English people had grown to love her - when she first arrived, he'd referred to her as "this little scrap of humanity". [ 5 ] As the years went by, there can be little doubt that their love only grew stronger. In a letter to his mother by marriage, Elizabeth of Pomerania, he refers to her as "mater nostra carissima", which loosely translates to 'mother of my beloved'. [ 6 ] Richard and Anne were childless, despite the fact that they were rarely separated. [ 7 ] That Richard also had no illegitimate children is further proof of his devotion to her, nor was she rumoured to have taken lovers. All Richard's biographers agree on this. Nigel Saul notes that at least one biographer hypothesized that their marriage was childless because it was chaste, due to Richard's great admiration for Edward the Confessor, however he argues (and I concur) that this is unlikely the case as Richard "had a powerful sense of lineage" [ 8 ] and wanted children so as not to have the direct Plantagenet line end with him.

Many kings in his position have been known to repudiate barren wives, yet there was no indication Richard ever had any intention of ending his marriage to Anne. Also, they were both still young so they might have continued to hope for an heir in the future. Richard had the legendary Plantagenet temper and was known to react first and think later. Though Anne only rarely entered the political stage, it is believed she probably tried to help him curb his temper and was also instrumental in persuading him to think twice about rash decisions made while he was angry. [ 9 ] After the death of his mother in 1386, she was the one person he seemed to rely on without question, though he did continue to favour certain nobles. For twelve years they lived together, deeply in love and seeing each other through several crises. In 1394, however, the plague struck again, taking with it Queen Anne, aged only 27. "On 7 June Anne, queen of England, and daughter of the emperor, died at the manor of Sheen;..." [ 10 ] Richard has variously been described as "wild with grief", "utterly inconsolable" and "distraught in the aftermath".

[ 11 ] When the Earl of Arundel was late arriving at the funeral, Richard struck him for showing such disrespect to the queen's memory. [ 12 ] Saul mentions that for a year after her death he refused to go into any room she'd been in [ 13 ]. The following spring, John Gedney, Clerk of the Works, received a writ, ordering him to destroy the Manor of Sheen including "the houses and buildings within the moat,..." and "the houses and buildings in la Neyt" [ 14 ] Sheen itself was a sprawling collection of buildings, it was in la Neyt that Anne had died. Richard had spent time expanding Sheen earlier in his reign and la Neyt had been among the favourite residences of the royal couple. [ 15 ] In 1395 Richard also commissioned a tomb for himself and for Anne. [ 16 ] The effigies appear to be true portraits, rather than idealized figures as the queen is depicted as rather plain and slightly plump, while Richard looks elegant and slender, with a wispy goatee and a long nose. Before he left for Ireland in 1399, he dictated specific instructions for his funeral.

They were not carried about by his cousin Henry of Bolingbroke when Richard died in February 1400, less than six months after being forced to abdicate the throne. Instead the deposed king was laid to rest at King's Langley, a Dominican friary, a final insult at the hands of his cousin. However, Henry V, Bolingbroke's son, who had spent time Richard's court, chose to honour his last wishes and moved his body to Westminster in an elaborate ceremony. [ 17 ] Thus ended a very bittersweet love story. Anne and Richard had what appears to be a perfect marriage, one of mutual respect and love. That their life together was cut short so tragically may have been a blessing in disguise. Richard had some very definite ideas about kingship and the monarchy that did not appeal to his powerful magnates. Even had Anne, with her tempering influence, lived, it is still quite conceivable that he would have blundered politically and left Anne a grieving widow.

Their years together, filled with passion and friendship, are almost without rival in the history of the English monarchy - there can be little doubt that, though their time together was relatively short, they certainly rank among the most romantic of couples in history. Richard's second wife was a young French princess, Isabella of Valois, who grew to adore him. In 1396 he married again, as part of a peace treaty with France. His bride, the six year old daughter of Charles VI and Isabeau of Bavaria, came to England and lived mostly at Windsor. She was the perfect second wife for the mourning king. Still a child, it would be several years before a consummation was expected, thus giving Richard plenty of time to overcome his grief for Anne. She was also like the child he and Anne never had and by all accounts he was fond of her, giving her gifts and visiting with her as often as he could. It appears she grieved for him deeply after his death, then waited two years in England while Henry IV quibbled about returning her and her dowry as per the marriage contract.

(This is similar to what happened to Catherine of Aragon more than a century later.) After returning to France she married Charles of Angouleme (later Duke of Orlï¿½ans), but died in childbirth in 1409, after only three years of marriage. Notes: 1 ) The Rev. John Silvester Davies, MA, An English Chronicle of the Reigns of Richard II., Henry IV., Henry V., and Henry VI.. New York (AMS Press, 1968) p.39 ( back to text ) 2 ) Louisa Desaussure Duls, Richard II in the Early Chronicles, Paris. (Mouton, 1975) p. 8 ( back to text ) 3 ) Nigel Saul, Richard II. New Haven, Conn. (Yale University Press, 1997) pp. 93-94 ( back to text ) 4 ) L.C. Hector, Barbara F. Harvey (Eds. and Transl.), The Westminster Chronicle, 1381-1394. New York (Oxford University Press, 1982) p.

503 ( back to text ) Westminster Abbey » Richard II and Anne of Bohemia Richard II and Anne of Bohemia Home > History > Royals > Richard II and Anne of Bohemia Born: 06 Jan, 1367 Coronation Date: 16 Jul, 1377 Wedding Date: 20 Jan, 1382 Location in the Abbey: Shrine Type of memorial: Tomb Type of material: Marble; bronze Richard was born at Bordeaux in France on 6 January 1367, the son of Edward the 'Black Prince' (eldest son of King Edward III) and Joan, called the 'Fair Maid of Kent'. The death of his elder brother Edward left him the sole heir. His father died in 1376 and so Richard succeeded his grandfather as king. Richard was devoted to Westminster Abbey and to St Edward the Confessor and he rebuilt the northern entrance and some bays of the nave. He also partly rebuilt Westminster Hall, in the Palace of Westminster. In 1381 the Peasants' Revolt broke out against the poll tax and Richard, aged just 14, rode out and bravely confronted the mob and pacified them.

Although a handsome, cultured man he was not a successful ruler and he was deposed as king and imprisoned in 1399 by his cousin Henry Bolingbroke (who became Henry IV), son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. Richard's half sister Maud Holland (a daughter of Joan and her first husband Thomas Holland, Earl of Kent), was seemingly buried in the Abbey in 1392 (see her separate entry on the website) Marriage He married Anne daughter of the Emperor Charles IV of Bohemia, and sister of King Wenceslas IV, in Westminster Abbey in January 1382 and was devoted to her. She was crowned two days later by Archbishop Courtenay. They had no children. In 1396 he married the 7 year old Isabelle of France. Coronation Richard was crowned in the Abbey on 16 July 1377 aged only 10. The day before the ceremony he processed on horseback from the Tower of London to Westminster. The streets were bustling with entertainers and decorated with bright banners and tapestries. This was the first ever coronation procession.

Portrait A contemporary portrait of the King wearing coronation robes seated in the Coronation Chair and holding the orb and sceptre is now placed in the nave of the Abbey, having originally been in the Quire. This wooden panel-painting is the earliest known portrait of an English monarch, dating from the 1390s. The suggestion has been made that the artist was court painter André Beauneveu. The vivid colours show the king in a green tunic decorated with the letter R, wearing a crimson robe lined with ermine, an ermine cape, vermilion socks and gold shoes. It was restored and re-framed in the 19th century. Unfortunately during this restoration by George Richmond in 1866 the diapered gilt ground and the raised gesso work on the crown, orb and sceptre were taken off. Burial and Monument After his deposition he died in Pontefract Castle on or about 14 February 1400, most probably from starvation. However, rumours spread that he was actually murdered so his body was brought for public view to St Paul's cathedral in London and then was buried at a friary in Langley, Hertfordshire.

When Henry V came to the throne he ordered the removal of the body to Westminster Abbey in 1413 to join Anne in the tomb Richard had erected for them in the chapel of St Edward the Confessor, next to that of Edward III. The tomb was made in 1396-9 by London masons Henry Yevele and Stephen Lote, and copper smiths Nicholas Broker and Godfrey Prest cast the gilt bronze effigies. The total cost was £933. 6 shillings and 8 pence. Richard and Anne were originally depicted holding hands (as Richard had specified), but they have been broken off. This was the first double royal tomb and the effigies were cast in two sections rather than a single piece like Eleanor of Castile's effigy. The effigies are stamped all over with patterns and Plantagenet badges - the broompod, white hart and sun-burst on the king's figure and knots, crowned initials A and R and chained ostriches on Anne's effigy. Richard is depicted in Parliament robes while the queen wears a cote-hardi, from which the buttons are missing, an enriched girdle and long cloak. She has waist length hair.

The Latin inscription around the ledge of the tomb can be translated: " Sage and elegant, lawfully Richard II, conquered by fate he lies here depicted beneath this marble. He was truthful in discourse and full of reason: Tall in body, he was prudent in his mind as Homer. He showed favour to the Church, he overthrew the proud and threw down anybody who violated the royal prerogative. He crushed heretics and laid low their friends. O merciful Christ, to whom he was devoted, may you save [Richard], through the prayers of the Baptist, whom he esteemed" Anne's part of the inscription can be translated as: "Beneath a broad stone now Anna lies entombed; when she lived in the world she was the bride of Richard the Second. She was devoted to Christ and well known for her deeds; she was ever inclined to give her gifts to the poor; she calmed quarrels and relieve the pregnant. She was beauteous in body and her face was gentle and pretty. She provided solace to widows, and medicine to the sick. In 1394 on a pleasant seventh day of the month of June, she passed over.

Amen" Both effigies are undoubtedly portraits and the king wears a short wispy beard, as in his painted portrait. Much of the decoration, including the beasts supporting the feet (two lions at Richard's feet and a leopard and eagle at Anne's) and the jewels from Anne's dress, has now disappeared. Queen Victoria ordered new cushions to be made to support their heads. The metal table on which they lie is in two pieces diapered with lions and fleurs de lis and lions and eagles respectively. On the canopy at the back of the heads there are stamped shields with the arms of Edward the Confessor impaling France and England quarterly with chained harts as supporters and the arms of France and England impaling Bohemia with eagle supporters The oak tester, or panel, above the effigies shows four painted scenes, the outlines of which can still be made out.

Each has a background of gilt gesso work (similar to that which was originally on his portrait) and the subjects are: two angels standing on a flowered mount and supporting a shield (now defaced), the coronation of the Virgin, Christ enthroned, and angels similar to the first scene supporting a shield with the arms of France and England impaling the eagle of the Empire quartering the crowned lion of Bohemia. The ribs and cornice of the tester are painted with rosettes. In the Abbey inventory of St Edward's chapel in 1520 it mentions a "canvas cloth stained black with a white hart to cover the tomb of Richard II". Anne of Bohemia When Anne died in 1394 Richard was so grief stricken that he demolished Sheen Palace, where she had died. Anne of Bohemia's wooden funeral effigy head is still in the Abbey collection. The tomb was opened in 1871 and most of Anne's skeleton was missing as bones had been extracted by visitors over the years through a hole in the side of the tomb base where enamelled shields had once been attached.

The statues of saints in the niches below the effigies no longer remain (compare the design of Edward III's tomb adjoining). Dean Stanley arranged the bones neatly and also put back some other items which had been left in the tomb in 1413. During the 1914-18 war the effigies were stored in the Chapter House crypt and from 1939-45 they were evacuated to a country house. Tomb dimensions: Length 3.84 metres, width 2.10 metres, height 1.90 metres. Photographs of the portrait, tomb effigies, tester and funeral effigy can be obtained from the Abbey Library. The funeral effigy will be on display in the new Jubilee Galleries, due to open 2018. Further reading Richard II by Nigel Saul, 1997 On an examination of the tombs of Richard II and Henry III by A.P.Stanley in Archaeologia XLV, 1879 Drawings, by George Scharf, made at the time of the opening of the tomb, are at the Society of Antiquaries.

The skulls and Richard's shrunken brain were photographed before replacement. Some items removed by Scharf from the tomb are at the National Portrait Gallery. Article in The Westminster Abbey Chorister Summer 2011. Observations on the heraldic devices..on the effigies of Richard the Second and his queen by J.G.Nichols, Archaeologia vol. XXIX, 1841 A study of the materials and techniques of the tester over the tomb of Richard II... thesis by Abigail Weatherill, 2010. History of the King's Works - vol.

1 edited by H.M.Colvin, 1963 Royal bronze effigies in Westminster Abbey by Plenderleith and Maryon, Antiquaries Journal XXXIX, 1959 (describing the cleaning after the war and method of casting the effigies) History & Antiquities of the Abbey Church of St Peter Westminster...by J.P.Neale and E.W.Brayley, vol II, 1823 (discussing the tomb and the contracts for it) The Virgin Mary and White Harts...14th century wall paintings...by Jane Spooner in BAA Conference transactions "Westminster....the art...of the Royal Abbey", 2015 Restoration of the portrait of Richard II by Ian McClure, in New offerings, ancient treasures. Studies in medieval art…edited by Paul Binski and William Noel, 2001 Portraits of the later Plantagenets by F.Hepburn, 1986 The Funeral Effigies of Westminster Abbey edited by A. Harvey and R.

Mortimer, 2003 revised edition The regal image of Richard II and the Wilton Diptych edited by Dillian Gordon and others, 1997 Andre Beauneveu by S.Nash, 2007 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 2004 Richard II and the English Royal Treasure by Jenny Stratford 2012 Henry V by Wylie & Waugh, vol I. p.207-11 describes the king's re-burial here Click on the images to enlarge Share

Question: Which English king was married to Anne of Bohemia?
Answer: RICHARD II